Iarnród Éireann has confirmed that it is to introduce a pilot catering trolley service on selected trains on the Dublin Heuston to Galway route from Monday coming 24th August 2026, operated by Irish company Sambos.ie.
Some trolley services will be provided on services over the coming days in advance of the pilot commencing, for staff familiarisation purposes. The pilot will be for a six-month period, on a commercial basis without Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding to help determine the potential viability of such a service on the Intercity network.
Catering services have been provided solely on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Belfast routes since May 2023, within the PSO funding envelope currently available under Iarnród Éireann’s contract with the National Transport Authority.
Iarnród Éireann has undertaken extensive market engagement to identify innovative solutions which may enable on-board catering to be provided more extensively on the Intercity network, on a commercial basis, in response to customer demand.
